The present invention relates to an electric therapeutic device.
A conventional electric therapeutic device is usually composed of an oscillator for generating electromagnetic waves and a conductor connected to the oscillator. The conductor has an opening formed at the bottom portion of a flexible case and an electrode at the top portion thereof. An electrode pad having a water-absorbing property is disposed in the position immediately below the electrode. The conductor is connected to a suction pump.
Upon conducting therapy using such a conventional electric therapeutic device, the conductor is attached to an affected part of a user in the state in which the electrode pad is absorbed with water, and it is allowed to be closely attached to the affected part of the user by sucking air in the case by operating the suction pump.
It has been found, however, that such a conventional electric therapeutic device has the disadvantage that the conductor is caused to be detached or removed from the affected part of the user because the conventional electric therapeutic device sucks water absorbed in the electrode pad, too, together with the air present in the case, on account of the fact that the conductor is closely attached to the affected part of the user and that, upon continually operating the electric therapeutic device, a large amount of the water is sucked from the electrode pad and the electrode pad becomes too dry so that the electric property is worsened and the ability of attachment of the conductor to the affected part is decreased.
The electric therapeutic device according to the present invention is composed of, an oscillator, a conductor connected to the oscillator, and a water circulator for circulating hot or cold water to the conductor.
The water circulator has a water reservoir container connected to the conductor through a water supply pipe and the conductor is connected to a suction pump through a water return pipe. The suction pump is then connected to the water reservoir through a communicating pipe.
The conductor is provided with an electrode at the top portion of the case having an opening at the bottom portion thereof and with the electrode pad immediately under the electrode.
The electrode is provided with a water supply passage and a water return passage, and the water supply pipe is coupled with the water supply passage while the water return pipe is coupled with the water return passage.
The electrode pad or the case is formed with a circulator for circulating hot water.
The electric therapeutic device according to the present invention is adapted to conduct treatment of an affected part of a user by means of the action of electricity flowing through the affected part thereof by closely attaching the opening of the conductor to the affected part and discharging electricity toward the affected part from the electrode of the conductor.
By circulating hot water by the hot water circulator upon treatment, the electrode pad is brought into a state in which it contains water so that it can improve electric properties of the electrode by the action of water due to the fact that water is always present between the electrode and the affected part of a user.
Moreover, the temperature on the affected part of the user becomes appropriate by holding the circulating water at an appropriate temperature so that comfort to use by the user can be improved and the hot-temperature effect can be provided by the action of hot water. Further, the electric therapeutic device can improve the therapy effects.
In addition, the air present in the case of the conductor is sucked out by the suction pump so that the conductor can be attached to the affected part of a user with ease simply by placing the conductor on the affected part thereof and that the attachment property of the conductor to the affected part thereof can be improved.